


The Want of Freedom

by MissMason123



Series: Shatt Week 2017 [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood, Experimentation, Fight mention, Galra prisoners, Gen, M/M, Mention of experimentation, Reminiscing, Shatt, Shatt Week 2017, blood mention, how do tag, urgh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-14 21:30:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11791845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMason123/pseuds/MissMason123
Summary: Day 1: Liberation - Freedom/Rebellion/Reunion"The several cries of his arena title almost drowned out the singular shout of his name. Almost. He lifted his head, vision swimming as he tried to pick out the one who did. The dark outside the cell did nothing to help, as every being in there looked identical in their prison garb. “Matt…” He called softly, struggling to sit up against the wall. He noticed several prisoners begin to shy back then. They knew of his prowess in the arena, so why wouldn’t they be afraid?"Written for Shatt Week, thanks to the guys at shatt-week.tumblr.com/ for organising this!





	The Want of Freedom

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go again, it's officially Shatt week!! Here's Day 1's theme, "Liberation", using the prompt, "Freedom". Enjoy, and let me know what you thought in the comments!

How long had it been?

Days? Weeks? 

How long had they been prisoners of the Galra empire?

Shiro collapsed heavily against the wall of the cell, head colliding with a clatter due to the strength of the guard who threw him in there. A loud grunt passed through his lips. 

“The Champion!”

“ _Shiro_!”

“Champion!”

The several cries of his arena title almost drowned out the singular shout of his name. Almost. He lifted his head, vision swimming as he tried to pick out the one who did. The dark outside the cell did nothing to help, as every being in there looked identical in their prison garb.

“Matt…” He called softly, struggling to sit up against the wall. He noticed several prisoners begin to shy back then. They knew of his prowess in the arena, so why wouldn’t they be afraid?

Shiro let out a cry of pain, clutching onto his right side. His last fight had been against a Galra traitor, who’d been sent to the arena instead of to Haggar. Zarkon obviously wasn’t worried about something so small. What was one traitor going to do to the empire?

He lifted his hand from his side, it was covered in blood. The other competitor had managed to get a lucky strike in before Shiro could defend himself. The fight itself hadn’t lasted long. And for that, Shiro was grateful.

“Shiro! Are you okay?” Small hands gently cradled his face. Blinking a few times, the blurry image of Matt in front of him cleared up. He looked… Worried… Scared out of his mind.

“I’m okay… Just a little banged up is all.” He smiled weakly up at the other man, reaching up to brush hair away from his face. Matt’s eyes widened and he gripped onto his wrist. Shiro was a little confused at first, until he saw the look of horror on his face. He’d automatically reached forward with his right hand, the one smothered in his own blood.

Matt held his wrist gently, turning it around to inspect the other’s hand. Apart from the blood on his palm, it seemed to be alright. “A little?” He asked, shuffling closer on his knees. God, he needed his glasses badly. “This is the worst you’ve come back so far… And I… I worry for you…”

“Matt…”

The smaller man pulled his overshirt off, folding it into a haphazard square and pressed it onto the cut. If it hurt when he did so, Shiro didn’t say anything. “Every time you go out there, and I’m not there to see I’m glad but…” He shook his head before continuing. “I need to see that you’re alright.”

As he spoke, he unconsciously put more pressure onto the makeshift bandage, causing Shiro to hiss in agony. “I’m alive, aren’t I?”  
“But for how much longer?”

That was the inevitable question. How much longer would they live? How much longer would any of them live for?

Shiro pressed his much larger hands over Matt’s, almost marvelling over the size difference. The sudden pressure over his hands caused Matt to look up, meeting the other’s gaze. “All that matters is that I’m alive now.” He said softly. As he spoke, he laced their fingers together as if to cement the fact he was there.

“But what-”

“But nothing, Matthew,” the joking tone Shiro used was able to pull the smallest of smiles from the other man. “We’re going to get out of here, I promise.”

Matt could only nod, shifting round so he was sat next to Shiro. From what he could tell, the other prisoners had turned away, giving the two humans what classed as privacy in the cell. “Hey Shiro…” He rested his head on the other’s shoulder. “D’you remember that time we snuck onto the Garrison’s roof during midterms?”

The taller man thought for a minute or so. “Which time? Second or third year?”

“It was third year, the night before our ‘Propulsion in Nitrous Gas Planets’ exam,” Matt smiled to himself, recalling the night as if it was yesterday. “We crept up there, sitting in silence for nearly an hour until I asked-”

“‘D’you reckon there’s anyone watching us right now?’ I just looked at you like you’d lost your mind. Then I said, ‘Of course. The Garrison’-”

“‘Has got cameras everywhere, so I’m surprised we haven’t been caught before.’” The two chuckled lightly. The small movement jostled Shiro’s side and he hissed sharply, the pain beginning to spread outwards from the slash wound.

“I loved that, y’know,” Shiro said, a little breathlessly. “The freedom we had on those nights… We weren’t restricted by the rules of the Garrison, we could do what we wanted.” He turned to face Matt, gently rubbing his face into the other’s hair.

The pair stayed like that for a few minutes, simply staying in each other’s company was enough to keep them calm. Calm enough that Shiro could fall asleep, exhaustion from the fight and his wound creeping up on him.

It was then when a small alien, roughly the same height as Matt was came up to them. The creature was humanoid in shape, but that was where the similarities ended. Its skin was blue in colour, and seemed to allow the dim light to pass through it. A darker shade of blue markings were sprinkled across their face, framing their eyes almost like a mask.

“This other Earthling? He is your mate?” It asked, seemingly in broken English. However, the universal translators implanted behind their ears upon imprisonment made sure that they understood each other at all.

“M-Mate? Like err…” Matt seemed to struggle for words. “Like a life partner?” The alien nodded, a strange clicking-whistle sound accompanying it. “Well, it’s hard to, to err, explain really. You see-”

The shorter human’s words were cut off with a clang as the door to cell was thrust open. “Champion! Haggar wishes to speak with you!”

At the mention of her name, the prisoners began whispering amongst themselves. 

_“The witch wants the Champion?”_

_“Poor poor human…”_

_“Haggar will play with his mind, I know it.”_  

“Who’s Haggar?” Matt asked, just before the alien he was previously speaking to pressed one of his two fingers against his lips.

One of the guards stepped inside, roughly pulling the still asleep Shiro up. The sudden change in position startled him awake and he immediately fought back. “Get off me!” He shouted, aiming a kick at the Galra’s side. His attacks were useless though, the guard having already anticipated them.

The guard dug his fingers into the open wound on Shiro’s side, ripping a blood curdling scream from the man. Everyone in the cell cringed at the sound, some even covered their ears.

Matt began to scramble up, but was pushed back once again by the alien. He wanted, no, needed to do something! “Shiro!” He shouted, pushing forward again when the taller man was dragged out of the cell.

“Takashi!” 

XxXxXxX

 

How long had it been?

Days? Weeks?

How long had they been prisoners of the Galra empire?

How much longer were they going to do nothing?

Matt was shaken awake, having curled into himself and cried himself to sleep when Shiro had been taken away. “W-What is it?” He asked sleepily, rubbing the tiredness away from his eyes with the back of his hand.

He half expected that blue alien, who’s name happened to be Razgul, to have done it. But who it was stood there shocked him awake. “Shiro!” He jumped to his feet, diving at the other man stood there. “You’re okay! Oh my God, you’re okay!” His arms wrapped tightly around him, as if to make sure he really was there.

Shiro rocked back on his heels as Matt dove at him, easily righting himself back upright. His own arms circled around him, holding him tightly.

Suddenly Matt froze against him, drawing back. “Matt what’s-?”

“Your arm…”

Shiro’s right arm… Was missing… Replaced with a cybernetic version. The pair locked eyes for a moment, before Shiro turned his away. He seemed, ashamed?

It was there and then that Matt decided. They were getting out of here. Freedom awaited them. They would go home.

**Author's Note:**

> I literally can't write anything but angst for these guys, I am so sorry!  
> Also, did you notice any similarities of the alien Razgul to one of my other fics?


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